Maria Rambeau And MotherHood In The MCU I was raised by my mother. Now don’t get it twisted, I grew up in a relatively stable two family home, with both of my college educated parents working full time and doing their best to raise two unruly children. Ask anyone who remembers me as a child, […]

Maria Rambeau And MotherHood In The MCU

I was raised by my mother. Now don’t get it twisted, I grew up in a relatively stable two family home, with both of my college educated parents working full time and doing their best to raise two unruly children. Ask anyone who remembers me as a child, they will tell you it was my mother who influenced me, who inspired me, who taught me to dream those dreams, and live them.

Now imagine that same kid, the one who would hide behind his mother’s legs when he was introduced to people, sitting on the set of Captain Marvel, listening to Lashana Lynch speak about her character, Maria Rambeau.

Yes that Maria Rambeau, the mother of Monica Rambeau aka the Captain Marvel most of us grew up on. The same Maria Rambeau who is about to redefine motherhood in the MCU, and for that matter superheroes in general:

I would say that her being a fighter pilot along with a single mother is her superhero quality. That is absolutely her superpower. Being a single mother, especially a Black single mother , having been raised by one and my grandmother, I know that there’s just a certain type of strength that comes ancestrally that you wouldn’t have been able to portray. That’s just a certain way we portrayed in this film that isn’t labored, but also was very much conveyed in…I actually don’t even have the words for it. I feel like nothing…you know what I mean by nothing’s labored? It’s just she’s strong, she’s bold, she’s a Black single mother. She doesn’t argue about it. She has raised an amazing child and now this child is probably going to turn out to be a superhero because she’s been raised by one.

Can I get an amen?

A common, at this point even tired trope in genre fiction is that a character has to have lost their parental figures at some point in their origin. How many superheroes can you name that have living parents? I’ll wait.

While you’re counting on one hand, let’s talk about what it means to have the power of Black Motherhood portrayed in an MCU film. Black Panther laid the groundwork with the relationship between Queen Ramonda and T’Challa, but the focus was on fatherhood and its effect on a son. Not to take away anything from Angela Bassett and Chadwick Boseman, but there is also something special about the relationship of African-American women and their daughters. Lashana also spoke about why it’s not needed to harp on the fact that she is a single mother, because Maria isn’t some struggling stereotype. Far from it, in fact:

We don’t need to apologize or explain ourselves with the film. It just is what it is, and also to know that we’re flipping the Black single mother idea on its head and being like, oh, she’s a fighter pilot and a Black…yes. I’m so glad she’s a Black single mother. She don’t need a husband. She doesn’t need a boyfriend and she doesn’t need many males in their life because you’ve only got one male that’s probably the best one, that’s her father. Everyone else has been the males at work who have given her a freaking hard time for just existing. So she’s all right.

If I could have stood up and cheered at “She don’t need a husband” trust me I would have. Monica Rambeau has always been a favorite character of mine, and she never needed a relationship in the comics to define who she is as a person. Getting to see the foundation laid for Monica in Maria’s character is one of the main reasons why I’m so hype for Captain Marvel. That, and the cat, but that’s another article.

While the Monica of the MCU is still a child at this point, Lashana did drop a couple of hints about the future of the Rambeaus in the next phase of Marvel films. Lashana is asked about how Maria reacts to meeting Nick Fury, and she had this to say:

Cooly. Literally. One thing I noticed when I read the script is that she doesn’t flinch. She has stillness about her, which is so attractive in a woman and in a human being, I feel like because of her, work, she doesn’t really, she’s just doesn’t flinch. She really takes new experiences and just makes it work for her. There’s some situations that she encounters on the way, throughout the film and she never argues, she never asks questions. She’s a bit like me when there’s something new, she’s like yeah, this is an iPhone. Never seen an iPhone before. I can work it. Yep. Use the buttons, but I’ll make it work.

Never seen an iPhone before? But if Captain Marvel takes place in the nineties, how does Maria ever see an iPhone? Judging by the beeper that Nick Fury hit Captain Marvel on, he’s still using cornerboy tech to keep in touch with Carol. So how does our favorite MCU mother get up on Apple’s latest and greatest? I guess we have to wait until March 8th to find out.

As a true fan of classic gaming in the arcade age of video games, my love affair with retro gaming hasn’t been very fulfilling. For years I’ve debated modding my Original Xbox with a new drive filled with emulators and ROMs so that I can sell off some of old games I have stashed in […]

As a true fan of classic gaming in the arcade age of video games, my love affair with retro gaming hasn’t been very fulfilling. For years I’ve debated modding my Original Xbox with a new drive filled with emulators and ROMs so that I can sell off some of old games I have stashed in various cabinets about my den. Also, with the slow death of classic gaming video game stores, my non-online vintage gaming shopping excursions are slim to none. Thankfully, Dream Arcades Inc drummed up a solution I think most of us can manage.

I recently bought the Kickstarter funded Dreamcade Replay as my retro or classic gaming solution. Supporting around 2 dozen systems out of the box, this little wonder holds over 100 classic games already. With about 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth connectivity, network capability, and a decent UI framed on a Windows 10 OS, this little wonder is a great way to explore gaming’s history.

Setting this little puppy up can be a chore if you don’t have your wits about you though. First of all, having a USB keyboard and mouse is whole heartedly recommended. Also, your “Replay ID” which is necessary to access the wingdings and perks of your Dreamcade Replay is located on the bottom of your unit. Signing in and configuring your Replay is much like setting up a Windows 10 PC so be prepared to wait for updates and networking questions. Once in, loading up the UI of the Dreamcade Replay is a breeze as then you can use and link up your Bluetooth gadgets galore! Stay tuned for more impressions later as I get some playtime with it.

With that out of the way, the real question is what to play on it? Do I dabble around the exhaustive PS2 and PS1 library or do I date myself and venture into Commodore 128, Amiga, and SNES games? While I will more than likely do all of the above and more, my initial focus will be on MAME aka Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator ROMs. So let’s see what games my heart desires!

GI Joe Arcade Game

Oh yes! This is a thing. I honestly don’t remember there being that many GI Joe video games EVER. I know recently there was a Toy Soldiers: War Chest DLC which had some GI Joe content as well as a few Commodore 64 and NES games a long time ago. I didn’t get a chance to experience any of them… except for this arcade game! I remember going to a theme park someplace during a summer and coming across this beauty. I immediately proceeded to dump almost $5 worth of quarters on playing thru as much of this Real American Hero experience as possible with characters like Duke, Snake Eyes, Scarlett, and Roadblack…I mean, Roadblock! Third person shooting has never been so patriotic!

Aliens vs. Predator

As a huge fan of both movie franchises (and even some of the novels), Aliens vs. Predator was a win win in my book wherever it showed up. Thankfully, the arcade game was an easy to play beat em up game in the same vein as Final Fight or Streets of Rage. With different Predators to select, this game saw quite the avalanche of quarters from me over the years. Toss in the coop and you have a simple game that I could even play with my 6 year old!

NBA Fastbreak Pinball

Truth be told, I’m a pinball fan. During my arcade years, trying to maximize the value of each and every quarter was a science and pinball machines were my ace in the hole. While I’m not one of the greatest players on a table there is, I have had some spectator worth moments in my day! One of those moments was without a doubt upon the NBA Fastbreak table where you were tasked with playing and beating various basketball teams via ramps, bumpers, and flippers. There was even a ‘free throw’ shot on the backbox of the machine where a flipper tossed a plastic basketball into a hoop. I’m certainly eager to see what a ROM for this table would play like!

UN Squadron

Scrolling shooters are a dime a dozen from the arcade days. Everything from Lifeforce to Contra to Gradius to 1943, this genre is another that will always have a place on any console I play. One of the rarest cabinets in my limited experience was this infinitely fun UN Squardron game. It was one of the first arcade shooters I remember playing that allowed you to choose characters AND earn rewards to upgrade your plane between missions. In a way, this RPG style power-up scheme kept me coming back for more.

Captain America and The Avengers

Back in the 90’s, it was hard to find good or fun superhero games. Before there was X-men or TMNT, there was Captain America and The Avengers. It was a fun coop game were you could be Cap, Iron Man, Hawkeye, and Vision. Yes, that is an odd team to select for a game but trust me, it worked. Just like in the aforementioned games there are many bosses and guests as you play that help or hurt you along the way making for a fun button mashing experience.

Mat Mania

Face it. WWE 2K is a shallow excuse for a wrestling game. Controls-wise, it is agonizingly dependent on an ill timed counter system and strange pin kickout. The results there have been horrible for casual and hardcore fans of wrestling and wrestling games. There was nothing like inserting a coin into a gem like Mat Mania and blasting through a bunch of generic but fun characters where the controls were easy to pick up and execute. Honestly I’d have to watch a vid to remember the names of characters or the bosses you fight but I remember the colorful art style and memorable sound effects. Before there was Fire Pro Wrestling, this was one of the kings of the wrestling genre!

Crossed Swords

When the NEO GEO came out, gamers mostly shook their heads over how expensive the console and the games were. As a result, most of us were only able to experience those games in the actual arcades initially. For myself, a surprise hit in my mental wish list was a hack and slash fantasy game called Crossed Swords. In this game you had to block, slash, and cast your way to glory. As usual, the game’s difficulty was high enough to force you to feed the cabinet quite a few quarters before you could ever see the final boss. This was a task I was never able to accomplish… until this opportunity!

1943

The origins of my bullet-hell obsession began with games like 1943. I would justify my nonsensical piloting skills by seeing how long I could go in a life without using the loop de loop maneuver to escape the screen filling death that bosses and various enemies would toss my way.

WWF Wrestlefest

So back when Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, and the Road Warriors dominated Saturday early afternoons, I lived and breathed wrestling. WWF Wrestlefest allowed me to digitally become my wrestling heroes and beat down all who dared insert a coin next to me! Of course this energy never really translated into me becoming good at fighting games in the future but it did keep me occupied as others did their own playthru of NARC!

NARC

Aside from seeing and marveling at games like Smash TV and Mortal Kombat, NARC was almost always one of the loudest games in any arcade. The sound effects when someone would enter a quarter almost always had people running over to watch them play thru as much of the game as they could. Even after seeing the ridiculous Mr BIG boss at the end, it was always a crowd magnet. It was hyper-violent. It focused on the whole anti-drugs message of the time. It was just all around fun and over the top!

My future mancave arcade will undoubtly have an original cabinet of this game without question.

Yes, I know. This is an odd listing of games to have but I did try to pick those that aren’t commonly a part of console collections. Also, this list is just the beginnings of my arcade obsession and is prone to change as my digital explorations begin.

****WARNING: MAJOR Infinity War spoilers ahead! ***** Photo Credit: Avengers 4 set photos courtesy of Men’s Journal Avengers: Infinity War blew up many fan theories with it’s ending. Avengers 4 set photos of Ant-Man and Hawkeye were mostly ignored or forgotten. It was just assumed they died early in the film because they weren’t in […]

****WARNING: MAJOR Infinity War spoilers ahead! *****

Avengers: Infinity War blew up many fan theories with it’s ending. Avengers 4 set photos of Ant-Man and Hawkeye were mostly ignored or forgotten. It was just assumed they died early in the film because they weren’t in any of the promotion. The film ends with the gauntlet being completely blown out and Thanos injured after he wipes out half the universe. Now our heroes will have to figure out what they’re going to do to make things right, which probably means sacrifices will be made for the greater good. It made sense for the future leaders of the MCU to be removed. Avengers 4 is supposed to be about concluding the story of the original team. And what will Wakanda do until things are normal? Will Okoye try to fix things at home or will she attempt to help the Avengers like her king would have? With her being brought back into the comics, I won’t be surprised if she chooses the latter. Okoye and Rocket joining the Avengers for their final adventure would make sense.

Though these theories ended up proving wrong, it was for good reason. The Russos immediately provided a logical solution to remove Ant-Man and Hawkeye from the battle. With Thanos succeeding in wiping out half the universe, we can now assume why Hawkeye becomes Ronin. And because of Infinity War, we may be in for a very dark ending for Ant-Man and The Wasp. Scott is on house arrest because he wanted to be close to his daughter. Don’t be shocked if she or her mother and step-father fade away in a post credit scene. From the the set photos that have been floating around, it was implied that time travel will play a part but it was unknown to what degree. And with Infinity War’s ending we now know that is the original team with Ant-Man along for the ride. Now the speculation has shifted to if the entire team is time traveling or is this an alternate reality adventure. Besides the set that looks like the Battle of NY, the other reason time travel theories oh have been floating around is the rumored casting of an older Cassie Lang, the daughter of Scott Lang. In the comics, Cassie becomes the hero stature.

Infinity War’s ending is a direct reference to the Infinity Gauntlet comic. When Thanos used the gauntlet to get away and it seemed to have been pulled into a different plane of existence. Many hardcore fans theorized that Thanos got pulled into the Soul Stone and that was really Gamora since she was sacrificed to gain access to it. In a recent interview, the Russos confirmed that Thanos did have an out of body experience in the Soul Stone and that was Gamora. All of the Infinity Gems have a mind of their own but the Soul Stone is the most temperamental. The Soul Stone once bound itself to Adam Warlock because it found him worthy of such union due to his strength and other characteristics. Feige did say Infinity War deaths would stick but he didn’t specify for how long or if reincarnation was off the menu. Thanos even hinted at the Asgardians ability to be resurrected when he killed Loki. With Thor now possessing the ability bring back the Bifrost Bridge, there may be other magical abilities he possess. Like the ability to bring back Loki as a child like he did after his death during the Siege event.

Unfortunately Avengers 4 is a year away and we most likely won’t find out the title until months after the July 6th release of Ant-Man & The Wasp. Captain Marvel will be released on March 9th.

Glory to Kevin Feige that we live in these times. Within the current zeitgeist, the portends of Thanos’ arrival is such that even your Grandmama can feel the magnitude of its gravity. The threat of the Mad Titan is so great, that not only are the best and brightest of the MCU rallying to save […]

Glory to Kevin Feige that we live in these times. Within the current zeitgeist, the portends of Thanos’ arrival is such that even your Grandmama can feel the magnitude of its gravity. The threat of the Mad Titan is so great, that not only are the best and brightest of the MCU rallying to save their respective worlds (and franchises) but the Distinguished Competition is looking pretty shook as well. Now I’m somewhat of a reluctant cynic, but recent announcements within the Warner Bros. stable suggests a smattering of frantic “suits” all looking for the next big wave of social reform to hitch on to and they’re pulling out all the stops. In the interest of crafting a coherent, genuinely entertaining and ultimately lucrative film empire, “from scratch” even, Ava DuVernay is now directing a New Gods movie, while Cathy Yan is heading up the next Harley Quinn project. As great as they are announcements and opportunities for both, it’s also a bit of a no-brainer with regard to current trends, i.e., #BlackWomen, #MeToo, etc. DC Comics’ New Gods project is the highest profile directorial procurement, but this wasn’t the first “first” that they were looking to announce. Before the appointment of Ava, however, keep in mind that DC originally positioned Zack Snyder as the “architect” of the DC universe, and went that fell through, they pursued Ben Affleck, Joss Whedon, and Matt Reeves.

Imagine If DC Execs Really Could Tap Into the Speed Force.

The Flash with its myriad behind-the scenes issues, was hoping to announce Dope director Rick Famuyiwa as the helmer until he dropped out 4 months later over creative differences. Had the plan gone through as envisioned, especially with the original March 2018 release date, Ryan Coogler and Black Panther would have been pitted directly against Rick Famuyiwa and The Flash. (See what they almost did there?) Although Famuyiwa departed the project in the Fall of 2016, only as recently as March 2018 did The Flash find its new directors. Supposedly they’d gone after Ben Affleck again, because you know, setting Batman back for years over substance abuse issues is hella chills. It’s almost as if they’d missed the “Black Man Director” boat and had decided to back to the well. No shade implied, by the way. The new directorial team are the writing duo behind Spider-Man: Homecoming, and good movies begin with good writing. For real. We can fight about it, but you’ll lose. The best we can hope at this point, is that Daley and Goldstein stay on, because right now another director exodus could kill whatever momentum The Flash has going forward and it’s already on life support.

It Not About What You Think It Is.

What, money? Of course it’s about that. I’m sure some of you are thinking of the “P” word, and seriously, how couldn’t you? It’s sexy, absolutely craves aural attention, and just plain fits into the lexicon whenever this conversation comes up. The problem with “pandering” is that even the suggestion comes off as dismissive, especially considering the history of DC Comics. To pander in this case suggests that the primary reason to diversify production staff is to go after a specific demographic, and that just plain isn’t the DC of my youth. Regardless of some controversial views of it’s more vocal contributors then and now, DC Comics is where I first saw the most populous and prominently featured Black and Latinx heroes. (Even though Vibe was a bit of a cosmic joke until Carlos Valdes put on the shades) Along with Warner Bros, this is the same partnership that gave us Static Shock, and incorporated Milestone Media into its own universe in 2008. In 2013, Kevin Tsujihara became the first Asian to head up an American movie studio. As of January 2018, Walter Hamada became the new head of DC Films, and is co-running the Shazam! movie. No, it’s not about pandering. Leave that one where it is. In a lot of ways, DC Comics has been ahead of the inclusion wave for decades. But clearly there were other wells to tap, and Marvel dropped the ball bigtime on one of them.

Coincidence? Maybe, But You Know What Some People Say About Those.

For as enjoyable as Wonder Woman was, even with its third act flaws, the name “Patty Jenkins” carries massive weight now. With Patty attached, we’d gotten all-female screenings, new box-office records, and in subsequent weeks (White) Feminism was on the rise (again). Two months after release, Black Panther is still changing the world, literally. With Cathy Yan directing the next Harley Quinn outing, DC Films gets two birds with one stone — Yan will be the first Asian woman EVER to direct a superhero film. On the subject of Asian Inclusion, Aquaman director James Wan recently stated that reshoots to include Randall Park as Dr. Shin had always been a part of the script, despite announcing that production had wrapped in the Fall of 2017. (Did any one even know Park was involved until this week?) Everyone deserves their day in the spotlight, and considering how little Asian POCs are represented, why not now? All I’m saying is, we see you DC and you can easily do better. You really want to make a genuine statement? Tell me a Kenan Kong movie is coming. Cast Daniel Wu, or Lewis Tan, even an unknown actor of Asian descent, I dare you. John Ridley’s also about to get a chance with DC since The American Way was also announced as an upcoming feature this week. Lastly, and also this week, Steven Spielberg is directingBlackhawk for DC, but a lot more on that one later…

“You’ve Got The Touch! You’ve Got The Power!”

We’re a decade into Feige’s vision and in less than ten days, that wave is about to crest all over the box office while DC is still struggling to keep up. A lot speculate that this is where DC is losing the most footing, trying to beat Marvel Studios at its own game. That’s not happening at this stage. The last time DC tried specifically to ape a Marvel formula was the incredibly divisive Suicide Squad. As it turned out, throwing together a band of D-list characters all bound by the power of a rockin’ soundtrack wasn’t the only thing that Guardians of the Galaxy had going on. Alternatively, it’s not like after release, fans were necessarily rushing out to see “the next James Gunn project.” Gunn is a talented writer and director, but after the script, characterizations are where the bread is buttered. This is where DC’s strength lies or should. If you would have told me in high school that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers would be more financially viable than Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, I’d have called you insane. Some of the most iconic characters in comics arguably belong to DC. Representation of those characters should be paramount, as opposed to simply reacting to changing social trends. Black Panther was always going to be a hit from anticipation alone, Ryan Coogler’s involvement was just an added bonus. Good writing makes a good character, which should lead to good stories and films, so on and so forth. Keep in mind though, it took Synder to fall off and Whedon to walk off, before the real changes started with DC. Despite of what may or may not be implied here, I do have faith in the new initiative as a fan of the culture and wish success to all parties involved. DC’s always had the characters and the stories. However, to say that they aren’t potentially hustling backwards with these stunt tactics would be simply untrue.

Keep it tuned to FanBros.com for the latest in Urban and Geek culture!

She’s your basic average girl and she’s here to save the world. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who grew up in the early 2000’s who didn’t finish the rest of that song in their heads. Kim Possible was a cartoon series that aired on Disney Channel from 2002-2007 and was so beloved that […]

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who grew up in the early 2000’s who didn’t finish the rest of that song in their heads. Kim Possible was a cartoon series that aired on Disney Channel from 2002-2007 and was so beloved that it was nominated for an Emmy in 2003 for outstanding animated program. Besides that, it was one of the rare Disney Channel shows that got more than one Disney Channel original movie.

In February it was announced that Disney is dusting off the property and making a live action film, which of course has fans split on if this is a good move or not. Regardless, casting is currently underway, so before anything gets announced allow me to throw a few suggestions out into the universe and fan cast the Kim Possible live action movie.

Kim Possible

First thing’s first, let’s kick things off with the titular Kim Possible. She’s a teenager who fights crime in between cheerleading practice and juggling the usual high school landscape, and of course she gets by with a little help from her friends. Ever since the live action project was announced the internet pretty much collectively decided that Riverdale’s Madelaine Petsch would be the perfect Kim by virtue of…her red hair I guess? Not hating on Madelaine because I think her work on Riverdale as Cheryl Blossom is fantastic, but there isn’t much about her that screams Kim to me from what I’ve seen of her performances. Which is why my pick for Kim is Shadowhunters’ Katherine McNamara. Kim is both competitive and compassionate, traits that Katherine portrayed beautifully in the short lived MTV series, Happyland. Of course as a super spy cheerleader kicking butt isn’t optional, something Katherine does on a weekly basis on Freeform’s Shadowhunters.

Ron Stoppable

Kim’s best friend since kindergarten, sidekick, and both the best customer and employee Bueno Nacho has ever had, Ron Stoppable is essential to the Kim Possible mythos. For all intents and purposes he’s the show’s leading man, but he’s more weird and bubbly than suave and debonair. Initially, I thought of Actors like Austin Butler and Ansel Elgort, but I’ve never seen either of them in anything that didn’t have them come off less than cool, and Ron needs someone who can play goofy well, but also maybe steal a heart or two without meaning to do so. I think Froy Gutierrez fits the bill well. He’s a relative newcomer, with his biggest gig to date being a stint on Teen Wolf, but it was watching him as a loveable and goofy jock on Netflix’s One Day at a Time reboot that sold him for me, and he even has freckles, so points for pointless nitpicky features.

Wade

Every great hero needs a guy in the chair, and for Kim that guy is Wade. In the show, Wade is only 10 years old yet has already graduated high school and college. For the purposes of the fancast I’m going to age him up a bit and nominate Rico Rodriguez for the part. Not only do Wade and Rico have similar features, but Rico has been playing a kid wise far beyond his years since 2009 in ABC’s Modern Family.

Monique

While not technically on team possible, Monique is Kim’s other best friend aside from Ron and the master of both the side eye and the stink face. If someone on team possible needs to be told about themselves it’s usually Monique that’s doing the telling. Just like with Kim, there’s a majority of people who thinks the role should go to Zendaya, which would be cute, don’t get me wrong, but something about that feels lazy, I think Zendaya might be Hollywood’s go to black girl at the moment. My first mind for Monique was actually Alexandria Shipp, who killed it as Abby earlier this year in Love, Simon. But, ultimately, I think China Anne McClaine would knock Monique out of the park, and her work in both Descendants 2 and now Black Lightning just has me anxious for her star to rise.

Bonnie Rockwaller

Bonnie Rockwaller is, in a word, a hater. She’s Kim’s nemesis in the halls of Middleton high school and pretty much lives to tear Kim and her friends down. Despite being salty whenever she’s on screen, it was always fun to see her hate on team possible, which is probably why she’s such a fan favorite; sometimes a foil is just fun to watch. For Bonnie, we need someone who makes being a mean girl look fun, and for that, Danielle Campbell is more than capable. Her biggest role was as Davina on The Originals, where she wasn’t a mean girl, but her subsequent roles on projects such as Marvel’s Runaways and ‘F the Prom’ sees her playing just that, and playing it well. Plus, it wouldn’t suck to see a different more vulnerable side of Bonnie, which her playing Davina indicates she can do.

Dr. Drakken

Of course the Kim Possible movie is a hero movie and every hero needs a villain. Kim has a pretty eclectic rogues gallery from Señor Senior, Senior (and his son Señor Senior, Junior) to Monkey Fist. But Kim’s foremost foe has to be Dr. Drakken. He takes himself more seriously than anyone else around him does and is constantly looking for the respect and validation he thinks he deserves as a villain. Whoever plays Drakken would have to have comedy chops as well as the propensity to pull off evil, so I could think of no one better than Tom Cavanagh who as Eobard Thawne/a million different versions of Harrision Wells on The Flash has done consistently.

Shego

Last, but not least is Shego, Kim Possible’s arch-rival, and about a million more times as capable as Dr. Drakken in terms of villainy (who she is usually working for). Having Shego in the cast of the live action movie is a must. Whoever plays Shego will need to pull off both sexy, angry, confident, and sarcastic. Phoebe Tonkin in past roles has encompassed off all of these, namely her role as head witch in charge Faye Chamberlain on The CW’s short lived series, The Secret Circle, not to mention as Werewolf Hayley on The Originals.

There’s my Kim Possible fan cast, Fanbros. Who in Hollywood do you have on yours? Call me, beep me if you want to reach me in the comments down below, and check back right here on Fanbros.com for more Fanbros Fancasts.

The Wicked + The Divine Fancast Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The Wicked + The Divine is a comic book series by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles that has been published by Image comics since […]

The Wicked + The Divine Fancast

Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead.

The Wicked + The Divine is a comic book series by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Matthew Wilson and Clayton Cowles that has been published by Image comics since 2014. Boiled down to it’s bare bones it’s about a bunch of deities who get reincarnated into the bodies of humans and for two years serve as the world’s greatest muses and artists every 90 years in an event called ‘The Recurrence’. The current recurrence sees the deities become pop stars spanning across multiple genres of music, and the series introduces us into this insanely clever world by way of a pantheon fangirl named Laura.

The comic has been well received over the course of it’s ongoing 4 year run (at the time of this article, it has a score of 8.5/10 on Comic book round up), and in 2015 it was announced that Universal TV would be adapting the property into a television show. There hasn’t been many updates surrounding the development of the series for screen since; and because of that I couldn’t think of a better piece of media to kick off the FanBros Fancast series.

WicDiv is a favorite title of not only myself, but O.G. Fanbro and captain of the spaceship, DJ Benhameen and for good reason. WicDiv is effortlessly cool, can be unexpectedly heartbreaking, and another twist is seemingly always around the corner. With a cast of characters that span a myriad of different ethnicities, cultures, and subcultures, the fan casting landscape is ripe for the picking so without further ado, let’s jump right into casting our Pantheon.

Laura Wilson/Persephone

What better place to start than with the character that brings us into the world of WicDiv, pantheon fangirl turned literal goddess, Laura Wilson/Persephone? Passionate to a fault (even when she’s’ unsure of her actions), more than a little obsessed at times, and ruthless when she needs to be, Laura is one hell of a human protagonist and complex enough to not seem like a complete bore when she’s surrounded by rock stars who just so happen to be gods. Most, if not all of the characters looks are influenced by real world artists and it’s said that Laura’s appearance is inspired by acts such as Sky Ferreira, MIA, Siouxsie Sioux, and FKA Twigs. I think Kiana Lede not only has the right aesthetics to bring our Persephone to the screen, and her work in the second season of the Scream tv series shows that she can pull off sassy, smart, and vulnerable. Plus the girl in real life is a singer with serious pipes so she’d kill Persi’s concert scenes.

Eleanor Rigby/Luci/Lucifer

Despite being killed off fairly early on in the series, Luci has left an impact on WicDiv fans, often being a favorite when it comes to cosplay. Her androgynous aesthetic is reminiscent of Bowie in his prime, and her character in particular has really resonated to the queer community. In a perfect world, my dream Lucifer would be Westworld’s Evan Rachel Wood who can rock a short cut/suit combo like nobody’s business. But at 30, Wood is sadly too old for the (roughly) 18 year old Lucifer. Still, I think my actual pick, Cara Delevingne would make a fantastic Lucifer. Arguably, Luci embraces the rockstar lifestyle more than any other members of the pantheon, and despite her not being an actual rockstar, her persona in the public eye gives off that vibe enough that she could easily channel into the princess of darkness.

Emily Greenway/Amaterasu

Reminiscent of Florence Welch, Amaterasu has my vote as most likely to have rolled up in one of those black cars in ‘Get Out’. So friendly and unassuming (by her own definition her bisexuality makes her boring) that you almost forget the stench of cultural appropriation wafts off of her like a perfume. Besides the signature red hair, what I looked for in casting in the sun god was an ability to play both docile and quietly frightening. My first choice was Riverdale’s Madeline Petsch, who I still think is an okay choice, but at the end of the day I think Sophie Turner has exhibited her capability in portraying similar traits not only as Jean Gray, but Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones.

Zahid/Inanna

A prince in the eyes of many readers for his warm personality (though like all of the other gods in the pantheon, he could have a mean streak as well) and as far as physical appearances go very reminiscent of…well… Prince, Inanna, I have to admit was tough, but not my toughest. The WicDiv wiki describes his ethnicity as either south or west Asian and I wanted to honor that as best I could. In a perfect world where all cultures and creeds had better representation I wish I could have fan casted an actual south or west Asian genderqueer or non-binary person. Since we’re not in a perfect world, I think SKAM’s Cengiz Al is still a pretty good choice for the ‘ethical slut’, mostly because his portrayal of the loveable and woke Yousef Acar in the Norwegian teen drama, Cengiz can make being instantly liked seem effortless.

Marian/The Morrigan

Ahh, The Morrigan, the member of the pantheon who was once my absolute favorite, but over time it was discovered that she is absolute trash. The three in one goddess gives off a completely rock and roll look that reminds me a lot of Amy Lee of Evanescence or PJ Harvey. Immediately, I thought of someone like Margaret Qualley in the role, remembering how compelling she was as Jill Garvey in the first season of HBO’s The Leftovers. Then I remembered Jade Tailor exists and my mind was pretty much made up – she is my Morrigan and if you doubt for a second that she had the ferocity and rock and roll attitude to pull off the mistress of darkness, just check out her work as Kady Orloff-Diaz in The Magicians.

Cameron/Baphomet

Of course, we can’t talk about The Morrigan without Baphomet who, for better or worse (worse, 100% worse) can most likely be found by her side. Flamboyant, sarcastic and showy (despite secretly being an uber nerd), Baphomet would be a role perfectly suited for a younger Ian Somerhalder…too bad he’s way too old. Baph was actually tougher to pin down casting wise than I thought, but in the end I think Matthew Daddario would be an interesting choice for our beloved Nergel, and not just because I have the sneaking suspicion that boy would look fire in a leather jacket (but that too).

Valentine Campbell/Baal

How can you not love a character so obviously based on Kayne West? The answer is you can’t. Baal is something of the leader of the pantheon, especially when things go to hell later down the line, he’s the one who holds things down. Arrogant, and aggressive, but with a gentle side, Baal was actually the easiest to cast for me — Lucien Laviscount. A British import to boot, Lucien started to crossover a few years back, and his filmography is nothing to play around with, but it was his performance as…well an aggressive and angry rapper in the 2014 movie Honey Trap that sowed this one up for me right away. Plus…just look at him, wouldn’t you believe him as a full of himself lightning god/rapper with a fragrance line that has a tagline as cheesy as ‘capture lightning in a bottle’?

David Blake/Woden

Woden is easily the Joffrey Baratheon of WicDiv, if you like him then that is serious grounds for side eye, because boy, calling him the worst doesn’t even cut it. Woden conceals himself in a suit reminiscent of Daft Punk at all times under the guise that he’s disfigured, but it turns out he’s less ‘Deadppool’ and more ‘Al Bundy’, as in really he’s hiding the fact that he’s not a teenager like the rest of the pantheon, but a middle aged man who only pretended to be the reincarnation of Woden, but really keeps his son, imprisoned in order to use his powers as Mirmir to build things. There are plenty of 40 something white, male actors to choose from, so mostly I went by who gave me a good enough creep vibe, and for that I’m going with Rufus Sewell. Nothing against the guy, I’m sure he’s fantastic, but you’ve got to admit, he’s pretty unsettling to look at.

Jon Blake/Mimir

Mimir, sweetie I’m so sorry you have to be associated with this dumpster fire, Woden, but such is life. Mimir’s dad, David has a gross and well documented tendency to fetishize Asians (re: his valkyries), and no doubt Mirmir’s mom was no different as he himself is half-Asian. There’s isn’t a lot of information about him as of yet in terms of his personality, so I’m going almost exclusively on appearance here, and selecting Australian entertainer, James Reid.

Ruth/Sakhmet

Skahmet is a lot of things, but ‘good person’ isn’t counted among them, but damaged? 100%, in fact, that’s maybe the understatement of the century. Sakhmet, along with John is the perfect example of how dangerous godhood can be when it falls into the wrong hands. Physically modeled after Rhianna, it was tough trying to figure out who could play her in a live-action version. In fact, I was just going to cast Rhianna, but decided to save my technicality vote for another pantheon member. Chanel Iman, Jasmine Sanders, and Zendaya all became contenders at one point or another, but when I thought of using Kiersey Clemmons, it was pretty much a done deal. Kiersey is the kind of actress who is highly capable of transforming herself depending on the given role, and someone as complicated as the sometimes cannibal who takes pride in feeling nothing could be one of her greatest roles yet.

Aruna/Tara

Fucking Tara. Really, what can you say about fucking Tara? If you’re me, then the answer is a whole lot. Sakhmet is a tragic figure who refused to feel, while Tara is one who possibly felt too much. Hands down, the most enigmatic member of the pantheon, Tara, up until issue 13 was only name checked here and there, and never in a positive manner. The other members of the pantheon (even almost literal sunshine, Ameratsu) either dismissed or talked shit on Tara constantly, there was never a nice word uttered about her, not even from Laura’s mouth. I already loved WicDiv from issue one, but it was Tara’s issue, issue 13 that elevated the material from a piece of media to a piece of art. I’m literally stopping myself from going on, and going to refrain from giving away any spoilers (in an article full of them), that’s how much I love Tara and I can’t recommend her issue enough, do yourself a favor, seriously. Has my intensity for the goddess come across enough yet? Well you can only imagine how much I want to do justice to her casting. I kicked around the idea of Naomi Scott for a while, and the fact that she’s also a singer made the notion even more tempting, but in the end, I think Meaghan Rath, who produced amazing work in the U.S. version of Being Human as housebound ghost, Sally Malik, is someone who could blow audiences away with her portrayal of the modern tragedy that is Tara.

Umar/Dionysus

When I think of Dionysus the first thing that comes to mind is a dope skull tattoo, the next is his ability to make a shirt that says ‘YOL∞’ work, and then how kind hearted he actually is. Ameratsu or Inanna would probably be considered the somewhat sweethearts of the group, but it’s selfless Dionysus who captures my vote. Believe it or not, the bald head over everything else is what made Dio so hard to cast, but in Hollywood there’s a million workarounds for that, so putting that to the side I think Avan Jogia would be killer in the role. He’s the kind of actor who does understated really well, but also can display a certain kind of chaotic and almost dangerous energy, something that could come in handy in a scene depicting one of Dio’s shows, and he’s another actor on this list whose musically inclined, which can only be a plus despite Dio is less of a singer and more of a human rave.

Minerva

Oh man, child actors are tough, even tougher? Younger teenage actors around the 13 year old age, but this year gave us a gem of a Netflix show called ‘Everything Sucks’ and with it a gem of an actress in 14 year old Peyton Kennedy. Kennedy was so convincing as a closeted high school sophomore that I was pretty stunned when I found out that she herself wasn’t even close to being of legal age to drive, and for fans of Everything Sucks, The fact that the actress can handle adult oriented material is a given.

Ananke

Advisor and guide to the pantheon, Ananke is (arguably) the antagonist of the series. She’s the woman making all the moves behind the scenes for what she believes is the greater good, so of course her actress needs to be a good one. Probably because I’m a fan of the Insidious series, Lin Shae came to mind, but I figured I can do better, and I think I have it – 3 words; Dame. Judi. Dench. The woman is a beast in the acting game, 8 minutes of screen time got her an Oscar, for Shakespeare in Love (and that movie isn’t even that great)! What locks her up for Ananke for me in particular is her performance in Notes on a Scandal where she played an Ananke-esq psycho who could go from killing someone with kindness to ruthlessness at the drop of a dime.

Cassandra Igarashi/Urdr (and by extension, The Norns)

Remember when I said that I had a technicality vote somewhere in this article? Well here it is, Fanbros, because I concede on trying to cast the skeptical, sarcastic, kind of bitter, but for a while there, Laura’s (sort of) ally, Cassandra. Representation matters and it matters a lot, so it didn’t really sit all too well with me to compromise on changing the fact that the character is Japanese or Trans. The pool for trans actors is bigger than it was a few years ago, but still pretty small so I can only imagine (hope) that the creators would put in the work to find a dope trans actress to portray the argumentative reporter.

There it is, Fanbros, my The Wicked + The Divine dreamcast. How does it stack up against your own? Let me know in the comments down below, and keep it here on Fanbros.com for more Fanbros Fancasts.

Black Panther And The Future Of The MCU With Black Panther earning over $1 billion dollars and becoming one of the top 10 domestic gross films in less than a month, it should be no surprise that Marvel Studios will be throwing its weight behind Wakanda as well as more diverse projects going forward. In a […]

Black Panther And The Future Of The MCU

With Black Panther earning over $1 billion dollars and becoming one of the top 10 domestic gross films in less than a month, it should be no surprise that Marvel Studios will be throwing its weight behind Wakanda as well as more diverse projects going forward. In a recent interview, Kevin Feige discusses crucial plot points of Avengers: Infinity War and plans for future Black Panther films.

That’s the grand Marvel Studios/MCU tradition of just being all in, right? All in on stuff we believe in, before the audience tells us what they think. You’ve heard us talk ad nauseam about the fact that we were in production on Avengers before either Thor or Captain America was released. Same thing with the whole third act of Infinity War being in Wakanda.

And as far as Wakanda’s role in the future goes

Anchor point is a good way of [describing] it, particularly as some of our other anchor points, Asgard for instance, are gone.

MCU’s future and representation

Yes. I think we’re seeing it shift from a very purposeful initiative to just a fact of life, to just a way of doing business. Then there are people we hired that we’re not ready to announce in all different capacities, particularly behind the camera. As Panther has so loudly declared, [representation] can only help you, can only help you tell unique stories, can only help you do things in a new, and unique, and fresh, and exciting way. If you do that, audiences will notice it, and appreciate it, and support it.

However the most important parts of this interview is their plan to most likely deviate from the traditional three movie format as far as Wakanda is concerned.

I think there’s lots of potential. It’s a balance between leaving people wanting more and then giving them too much, but I would watch a movie about any of those characters you just named. I think Shuri’s astounding, and you’ll see much more of her in our universe. Okoye, I think I’d watch three action films just Okoye. I’m not saying we’re doing that, but I’m saying that we’re intrigued by them. Frankly, as I’ve said before, finishing these first 22 movies is really all we’re thinking about at this point.

One thing the interviewer does not press Feige hard on is the negotiations between Disney and Fox. At first all clues pointed at the deal being a given, especially with Fox rejecting a higher bid from Comcast. Fox even pushed back the release of their completed New Mutants film an entire year. But then recently Fox decided to announce that they’re going to release three Marvel films every year between now and 2021 starting with the upcoming Dark Phoenix film. This slate still includes the Gambit film that no one asked for and a newly announced Silver Surfer film. Fox is either trying to leverage some more money out of Disney or they’re simply hedging their bets in case their deals falls through. At this point I doubt announcing their schedule this far in advance is not them trying to compete with Disney for dating because at this point The Mouse can make money any month of the year.

MCU has more than enough badass women for a group, the demand for an A-Force film has only increased. And they could arguably start with a larger starting cast than the original Avengers lineup. So far there’s only three MCU films planned for 2019, one of which is the co-produced Spider-Man Homecoming sequel with Sony. There are nine films unnamed films planned from 2020-2022. We’re all familiar with how things can shift when a deal goes through like when Homecoming bumped Ragnarok and Black Panther. There’s no telling how the completion of the Fox deal will affect the current schedule but there are definitely parts that can be incorporated more quickly than others. And those parts being the villains. Because of the Fantastic Four and X-Men, many of the rights to space related things went to Fox. The Fox deal would open up more doors in that area, and it would also give by Doctor Doom which is more important than getting back the X-Men to many people. Black Panther is in need of foils and characters like Doom and Namor are perfect in that regard. Plus Doom has posed a threat to entire teams of Avengers and recently brought about the end of all things.

Wakanda looks like it will be the center of some interesting stories as far as the MCU is concerned. And Feige seems to be echoing fan interest of a Okoye related film. Nakia, Okoye, and the members of the Dora Milaje were a huge hit with audiences. A Midnight Angels or World of Wakanda film would probably be a smarter move at this point than a solo Black Widow film.

With the Skrulls being the main antagonist in Captain Marvel, it’s not a stretch to assume we’ll get a Secret Invasion film in the near future. And in case you didn’t read Jason Aaron’s Black Panther: Secret Invasion, it didn’t go too well for them. There’s also the possibility of Illuminati and Ultimates related films now that Danvers has been brought into the mix. Marvel has a habit of priming audiences for what may be in store for the future by using their animated and comic properties. For example, the most recent season of Avengers Assemble featured an Avengers team with the leadership roles split between Captain Marvel and Black Panther. And the next season will focus almost entirely on Black Panther. Marvel Studios has shown they’re very smart and whatever they have planned after 2019 will most likely be announced at this years D23 conference in Florida.

So what do you think? What are your thoughts on the future of the MCU? Sound off in the comments!

Black Panther is practically here, but just as with a lot of things that reach of certain level of mass appeal, it has gained more than a few detractors. Black Girl Nerds contributor Kayla Marie Sutton created the #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe hashtag, taking the Twitter world by storm over the last week. As the release […]

Black Panther is practically here, but just as with a lot of things that reach of certain level of mass appeal, it has gained more than a few detractors. Black Girl Nerds contributor Kayla Marie Sutton created the #WhatBlackPantherMeansToMe hashtag, taking the Twitter world by storm over the last week. As the release date gets closer and closer, here are some things to consider if you’re still on the fence, or just not quite sure what the fuss is about.

Blade Was an Icon of a Different Hue

It’s not about “the first Black Superhero to…”, or that he’s even “Black.” Black Panther celebrates Black Culture in a way that movies like Blade, or The Meteor Man did not before it. In those films “Black” was more of a caricature than an actual state of being. Movies of that ilk tended to fall on Black as a personality trait, a flavor, (one of about five, maybe) that you either had or you didn’t. (Though it made a more palatable pie than most, Luke Cage picks some of this low-hanging fruit as well.) That’s never the way to view your inclusion and acceptance within the community you’re literally born into, but it is representative of the time – – the time before. In addition, those films could also be picked at for some of their genre trappings, for example, all stories featuring a predominantly Black cast must take place in an inner city. Those specific properties, even within their target communities don’t elicit that same collective response, as a Black Panther is designedto. Black Panther celebrates the common ancestry that most dark-skinned people in America have, regardless of where they fall on the cultural spectrum of Blackness. Africa isn’t a country. Whether born here or later emigrated, though our own individual travels and tribal paths have been obscured by our historic captors, Black Panther allows all Black people, not just the “woke” or informed to say, “Yeah, I’m a part of that.”

Pre-packaged “Black” Has BEEN Whack, Jack!

Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios pulled a “What If” in cinematic form, showcasing the possibility of an entire world that many of us just couldn’t envision, if for no reason other than lack of a clear example. Now, we have guides like Shuri! Black Panther is not only taking our culture out of the ‘hood, it’s practically leaving the planet! This isn’t at all a stretch but expect studies in Afrofuturism to rise to previously unseen heights at a campus near you. STEM programs in cities like Baltimore have been flourishing for years, plus there’s FanBros’ own Crown Wakanda Curriculum! One of the perceptions Black Panther is looking to change, is that Black actors can’t realistically portray Scientists and other intellectuals. This isn’t unique to Black Panther mind you, Hidden Figures can certainly boast the same claim. Peoples of Color of all types can, and likely will be offered more diverse roles as when compared with occupational based stereotypes or classic “token” portrayals. Expect the wave to continue. A Wrinkle in Time seeks to shatter some of the same cinematic conventions as Black Panther. It’s okay to tell Black stories that don’t rely on Slave Narrative or a downtrodden community. Who Fears Death is about to become a series on HBO! People are tired of the same trite and tired tales of turmoil. Black Panther, and a host of other properties are linked directly to that collective pulse.

That Stupid, Reductive John Lennon Quote

There’s a famous quote by the fabled musician and humanitarian, comparing women and minorities that I’ll not repeat here because it’s trash. However, in trying to understand the sentiment behind it, I’ve taken it as another way of stating that if you’re not a white MAN specifically, you’re undervalued. Still with me? Good. In a lot of the advertising, whether print or video, it could be easily assumed that T’Challa, though formidable on his own, is a background player in his own movie. Black Panther is the title character, but with the women of Wakanda to support him, “Black Panther” may as well function as more team than individual. The symbolism couldn’t be clearer, as it portends to Black couples. Doubting the capability of women is becoming increasingly anachronistic. The Dora Milaje are featured heavily throughout the promotional material, represented as a group, or as individuals. Wonder Woman brought the girls out, setting records on its own, so we know the appeal of an army of Femme Fatales in film. Black Panther is bringing #BlackWomen to the party. You know, the same Black Women who consistently have proven to be a driving force behind book sales, even politics as of late. With writers like Roxane Gay and Nnedi Okorafor adding even more to the Wakandan mythos, it’s no surprise at all Black Panther has saturated the cultural landscape the way it has.

It’s Not Simply About Marketability

Yes, Black folks are “hot” now, but we’ve always been financially viable in subtle, and not so subtle ways. This isn’t a piece about Appropriation, thankfully. Most movie fans can agree by now that Kevin Feige knew what he was doing when Black Panther was greenlit. One critique I’ve heard, and this is often from other Black people, is that all the fervor is due to Disney somehow tapping into a vein of Black gold and it’s all a ploy. Love of the almighty Black dollar is certainly a driving factor, and why not? Marvel Studios functions first as a for-profit Entertainment company. Going forward however, other properties starring people of color will have to up their game. The “lazy black” narratives are played out, and it’s about time. Jordan Peele and Sterling K. Brown aren’t receiving attention simply because “Black people will go out and see their stuff.” This is also why Tyler Perry never quite hit that mainstream, cross-cultural appeal. Chadwick Boseman was voted the most popular star in a country that just banned hip-hop culture. Think about that. No, really. Black Panther doesn’t represent the culmination of our struggles, but instead a new frontier – – the future will have to tell the tale.

Like it or not, Black Panther, from Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios releases nationwide on Friday February 16th, but you already knew that, didn’t you?

Keep it tuned to FanBros.com for the latest in Urban and Geek culture!

]]>https://forallnerds.com/what-is-the-big-deal-about-black-panther/feed/0OPINION: Black Lightning Doesnt Need to Be Part of the Arrowversehttps://forallnerds.com/black-lightning-doesnt-need-arrowverse/
https://forallnerds.com/black-lightning-doesnt-need-arrowverse/#respondWed, 24 Jan 2018 18:00:58 +0000http://forallnerds.com/?p=15238For All Nerds

January 16th saw the premiere of Black Lightning on the CW network, making it the highest rated series debut in two years, with even the rerun pulling in huge numbers for the network. Black Lightning played to 2.3 million viewers, toppling a record set by DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, a show developed to capitalize […]

January 16th saw the premiere of Black Lightning on the CW network, making it the highest rated series debut in two years, with even the rerun pulling in huge numbers for the network. Black Lightning played to 2.3 million viewers, toppling a record set by DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, a show developed to capitalize on the shared universe concept. Legends was third in a series of television shows beginning with 2012’s Arrow, which itself led to the revelation of a world full of interconnected heroes, affectionately referred to by fans as the ‘Arrowverse.’ Black Lightning is yet another series from DC Entertainment to grace the CW, the sixth, counting iZombie. Some fans would ultimately like to see Jefferson Pierce and family rubbing elbows with Arrowverse mainstays like Oliver Queen or Barry Allen, but they couldn’t be more wrong – – Black Lightning is fine just where it is.

“This is the third time this month!”

Jefferson Pierce shoulders the weight of an entire community and you see it on his face. A single father and high school Principal, even before his first line is spoken, Cress Williams does an excellent job relaying the heft of burden with his facial expressions alone. Times have been difficult, with few bright spots. As Principal, Jefferson brokered a deal with the gangs to treat the school as a safe zone, leading to graduation rates of over 90%. However, Jefferson questions his parenting skills when oldest daughter Anissa (Nabessa Williams) is arrested during the protest. On the ride home, the Pierce family car is approached by a police car, after a liquor store was robbed. Forced to exit his car in the rain, then handcuffed, Jefferson pleads with his daughters to comply with police, and stop filming the arrest. I’ll admit that even though I have an idea that the main cast will be okay, I felt a real sense of dread once the siren sounded and the scene took a turn toward the inevitable. Though the Pierce family all survived the ordeal, Salim and Mara Brock Akil set Black Lightning apart from the other shows in how grounded the events are. Racial profiling and policebrutality aren’t exactly story elements that have a place within the Arrowverse as it’s currently situated. From Supergirl to Legends, each of the shows is said to be structured towards a specific theme, but law enforcement is unequivocally good somehow. Black Lightning doesn’t have time to foster your ambiguity. In Freedland, like inner cities across America, the police operate much like a gang, and here we see it on full display. How would Barry Allen or Joe West feel about Jefferson Pierce’s stance and later, actions, towards law enforcement?

The Wests aren’t THAT relatable, and Diggle was a glorified babysitter

Look, if anything happens to Jesse L. Martin on The Flash, I’ll be the first to lead the charge in retaliation, let’s just clear that up. However, to the average person of color, Joe West represents more an ideal parent figure than an actual person we could emulate. Obviously black people comes in all shades, yes, but let’s face it, “African-American Police Officer, Single Father, and GREAT at it, All Around Swell Guy with Gifted Superkids,” seems a bit heavy. On paper, Joe West could be deconstructed to a series of checkboxes, being the only representation of an older Black man on that show. Arrow’s John Diggle has gotten some depth over the years, as has Curtis Holt, aka, Mr. Terrific. In Black Lightning, persons of color are just that, people. As no one character is a monolith, it lends to many different portrayals of the Black experience. Though Jennifer Pierce (China Anne McClain) is an honor student, she still chose to rebel against her upbringing for the sake of image. Jennifer goes to a club known for gang activity, even participates in drug use while there. Have any of the Arrowverse shows dabbled in recreational drug use, or the existence of urban Teenage prostitution rings for that matter? Would you even want them to? Remember the Legends of Tomorrow episode, ‘Abominations?’ You know, the one where they force the two Black characters to watch a slave being beaten from behind a tree, with the excuse that their interference could wreck the entire timeline? This same episode also saw Sara Lance present Ulysses Grant with a zombified head, not even 10 minutes later. Right. . .

No ‘Suicide Slums,’ no White Savior

A problem with a lot of the entertainment seeking to showcase the Black experience, is oftentimes it just seems like a portrayal of what white people think being black is. With that said, changing “Suicide Slums,” to the city of “Freedland,” was a welcome change; the former almost reeks of desperation and hopelessness. The city in the comics exists as part of Metropolis, and a question I always wondered as a kid was why Superman didn’t protect that part as much as the others. If Freedland were to suddenly exist with the Arrowverse, you’ve got to ask the same of heroes like The Flash or Green Arrow. How close in proximity would Freedland have to be, only to be completely ignored by the other heroes until now? It would be tough to write Freedland as a “sister city,” without making the other heroes seem selfish, less heroic in comparison, and maybe even a little bigoted. Even James Remar’s character acting as a surrogate father figure to Jefferson seems a bit tired. Incorporating Black Lightning into the larger world could even affect some of the storytelling elements that the Akils are bringing to the table. This is a show about a father and his daughters trying to save their community. Having an influx of heroes would certainly lessen that narrative’s impact. One thing I do want from Black Lightning is to see fully-developed characters. Just don’t be a show where “Good Black Guy”, fights a series of “Bad” people of color. Luke Cage had you rooting for Shades by the end, and who doesn’t want to see Turk Barrett have a good day? Assholes, that’s who.

That damned extended cast photo

Yeah, that one. This one, also. Hell, why not include this one too, while we’re at it? I get that we’re supposed to be excited to see all these heroes on screen at once, but the third time around it’s starting to look silly, all standing in a line like that. I mean, check out poor Rick Gonzales photobombing his own shoot. Now you want to add 3 more heroes? I’m good.

Keep it tuned to FanBros.com for the latest in Urban and Geek culture!

Despite Marvel Vice President of Sales, David Gabriel’s attempts to backpedal on some straight nonsense he said last year, it appears that Marvel is hammering the point home on its anti-diversity statement – at least behind the scenes. Axel Alonso stepped down mid-November as Editor-in-Chief, ending a 17 year-long history of men of color as […]

Despite Marvel Vice President of Sales, David Gabriel’s attempts to backpedal on some straight nonsense he said last year, it appears that Marvel is hammering the point home on its anti-diversity statement – at least behind the scenes. Axel Alonso stepped down mid-November as Editor-in-Chief, ending a 17 year-long history of men of color as Lead Editor, beginning with Joe Quesada in 2000. Some speculate it was due to falling sales of titles launched under Alonso’s eye. When it was announced that C.B. Cebulski was taking over as Editor in Chief, I immediately went online to find out what I could about the man who would be shaping the future of Marvel Comics. Besides some early work as Manga editor, editing duties on Runaways, along with titles in Marvel’s “Mangaverse,” I didn’t find much of note. Thank the stars for David Brothers at Image Comics who recently asked that journalists question Cebulksi about his own alter-ego.

You see, back in 2004, Chester B. Cebulski once went by the name of “Akira Yoshida,” which is problematic on its own when you think about it. Imagine pretending to be Black, and the most “authentic” name you could pull is “Leeroy Jenkins?” See? It’s been said in the past that Cebulski had denied the allegations, but has recently come clean. “I stopped writing under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida after about a year.” He continues, “It wasn’t transparent, but it taught me a lot about writing, communication and pressure. I was young and naïve and had a lot to learn back then. But this is all old news that has been dealt with, and now as Marvel’s new Editor-in-Chief, I’m turning a new page and am excited to start sharing all my Marvel experiences with up and coming talent around the globe.” Around the globe? I have an idea where he’ll start the World Tour.

Unfortunately, Cebulski goes further than a poor choice in pseudonym, as in the past he’s stooped to some truly low places, going as far as having a Japanese translator that was visiting the office pose as “Yoshida,” to further the deceit. The editor also created an elaborate backstory with notable details like working for a popular Japanese comics publisher, and growing up in Japan, while occasionally visiting the United States. Chester may feel as though this is all old news, but in 2017, it’s anything but. Further examination shows that Cebulski’s entire early career, and future opportunities were built upon the false identity as an Asian man.

Former Marvel Editor-in-Chief, and FanBrosShow alum, Axel Alonso once said, “No editor, in comics books at least, should be looking to produce only comic books that they would read. Your goal is to create comic books that will find an audience that you think speak to someone out there.” If the new position stands, let’s hope Cebulski takes that advice, because so far, he’s a one-trick pony if I’ve ever seen one.

In 2004 up until some point in 2005, Cebulski, as Akira Yoshida worked on several “Asian-themed” stories for Marvel. Stories like Wolverine: Soultaker , X-Men: Kitty Pryde – Shadow & Flame, and Elektra: The Hand. To add even further insult, “Akira Yoshida” often worked with notable, and authentic Asian visual artists such as Pat Lee, Kia Asamiya, and Jeff Matsuda. He would be the elusive writer behind the scenes, while hiding behind the faces of the actual Asian talent. C.B. Cebulski literally built a name on Japanese identification, and to suggest that it’s been “old news” and “dealt with” is an insult to actual writers of color, Asian or otherwise. I mentioned Axel Alonso and Joe Quesada, two names that, again, along with Brian Michael Bendis were Marvel creative, for the same 17-year span, oddly enough. I’m not at all saying that the Editor in Chief position should always go to a person of color, but there have got to be better choices than someone with an identity complex!

People need to be held responsible for their actions; not only responsible, but accountable. It’s clear to see how harmful the actions of C.B. Cebulski were, and continue to be to this day. C.B. Cebulski stole work from Asian writers, while relying on his own interpretation of Asian cultures, along with genuine Asian artists to further his own career. To those who remember the story of Michael Derrick Hudson, there’s a disturbing precedent within the literary world in particular, of Caucasian men falsely portraying an Asian identity. This one just got to become Editor-in-Chief for one of the biggest comics publishers in the world.

Lastly from exiting Editor-in-Chief, Axel Alonso, “What your responsibility to do is to make it real. To find the right people to tell that story, and most occasions listen to those people about what they want to do.” Though I’m open to being proven wrong, I have serious difficulty in believing that Chester B. Cebulski is the right person to take Marvel Comics into the future. If Marvel truly wants to move forward as a publisher, this situation had to be remedied, in some way. You know where to find the door, C.B. #StepDownCebulski